Area police departments deserve our gratitude

Police around the Seacoast have been called to action in an unusual and highly dangerous string of incidents for our region in recent weeks. We're here today to give high praise and respect to the officers who have served our communities so well and to ask residents to consider taking the time to thank them as well.

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seacoastonline.com

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Posted Jun. 6, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Posted Jun. 6, 2014 at 2:00 AM

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Police around the Seacoast have been called to action in an unusual and highly dangerous string of incidents for our region in recent weeks. We're here today to give high praise and respect to the officers who have served our communities so well and to ask residents to consider taking the time to thank them as well.

Anyone paying attention to news in the past month is well aware of the shooting death of Brentwood Police officer Stephen Arkell on May 12, the gunfire incident in a Newmarket residential area on May 30 and a June 3 incident in which an armed South Hampton man allegedly confronted officers, stole two police cruisers and sparked a massive manhunt that had scared residents in local communities in lock-down mode inside their homes.

Many of the details in each incident have been made public and some details will never be known by police or the public. Each incident involved gunfire and/or the threat of gunfire.

Police, being professionals, did not hesitate in rushing to these scenes. Fremont officer Derek Franek has been called heroic for his attempt to save Arkell and for helping to keep the alleged shooter contained in the home that eventually exploded. The death of Arkell has shaken Brentwood and surrounding communities to the core. The healing will be a very slow process for many people. Police deserve praise for the fact the alleged shooter, who died in the home, did not hurt more people.

In the Newmarket and South Hampton incidents, police successfully arrested the suspects with no injuries. We can only imagine the intelligent, calm approach this must have required under extremely stressful, potentially life-threatening circumstances.

Teamwork among local, county and state law enforcement agencies has been vital, according to Jamie Sullivan, who is police chief in Hampton and president of the Seacoast Emergency Response Team, the local SWAT team that has been called for all three recent incidents.

"The Seacoast is a relatively small community, which highlights the need for local law enforcement to work together," Sullivan said. "There are many moving parts in a substantial critical incident. We have very good relationships, all to help us protect the community and respond in an effective way."

We've seen local police working together at the recent crime scenes, each of them knowing they could face gunfire. It's good to know police are ready to protect us and work together in an organized way with bravery and skill.

We've all, at some point in our lives, heard people talk about how police officers in small towns don't see much action. That kind of talk has no basis in reality. Police in small communities respond to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations every day. The recent high-profile incidents should heighten our awareness of the officers' contributions to our community, but the truth is police work always involves risks.

Sullivan said he has been receiving positive feedback from local residents about the police and how they've handled the recent incidents.

"A number of folks have come up to us and thanked us," he said. "We appreciate that."

We hope Sullivan and local police continue to receive these words of thanks. They are well deserved.